Event Recap of Children Thrive Outside: A New Day for Outdoor Play in Child Care

On May 11, 2021, New America’s Early & Elementary Education Policy program partnered with the National Wildlife Federation’s Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) program to host Children Thrive Outside: A New Day for Outdoor Play in Child Care to shine a light on the potential to improve outdoor quality in child care. Daily access to high-quality outdoor spaces is a human right that has compounding benefits. The long-term physical, social-emotional, and cognitive benefits of daily interactions with nature are clear, especially for young children. Outdoor play is linked to more physical activity, cooperation, and a lifelong connection to nature.

Now is the time to invest in policies and programs that promote high-quality outdoor learning environments across early learning settings. As health officials recommend more time outdoors to reduce the spread of COVID-19, outdoor learning strategies are needed more urgently than ever. With new federal funding available, states and child care providers are well positioned to make strategic investments to ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive outside—today and in perpetuity.

Sharing exemplary programs, tools, research, and policies from across the nation, hundreds of child care providers, advocates, and policy-makers came together to learn how to bring this strategy into the mainstream so that all children can reap the benefits. Key event takeaways included:

• Research clearly shows the benefits of regular time outdoors for young children.
• Increased access to quality early care and learning must include indoor and outdoor quality improvements to improve child development outcomes.
• Improvements to child care outdoor quality and policy are already happening around the country at child care programs, in state policies, and in federal program instructions.
• Enhancing and activating outdoor settings across the child care system is an innovative, equitable, and accessible strategy to improve childhood development outcomes and create a healthier, more enjoyable workplace for adults.

With an opportunity to reimagine an equitable and sustainable child care system, New America and ECHO invite you to join us in bringing the daily benefits of nearby nature to all of America’s young children and child care providers.

Click here for details about the event and a recording.

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